'The Beautiful Saturn' Comes Alive as over 200 Teachers, Students and others Watch the Night Sky with help of 'Srujanika' at NNPF 2007 at JITM Paralakhemundi

Jivan and Nirakar from Srujanika – a well known NGO  from Bhubaneswar gave a spell binding lecture on the 'Fun with Night Sk  Watching' followed by a hands on demonstration of how to make night sky watching fun for all. This being the best time of the year to watch the Saturn in its full glory, there was a queue of over 200 eager teachers, students and others to watch the Saturn and the moon up to 9 PM in the night at the beautifully moon-lit site of AID Rural Technology  Resource Center. On the fourth day of the five day long Science Promotion Workshop sponsored by Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, the day started with a interaction among the teachers and students who had been on a study tour to Mahendragiri, the biosphere. Many expressed their great delight at the unique experience. The JITM faculty and staff of bio-technology school assisted in identifying different rare plant species and their characteristics. Many collected samples and savoured the beautiful surroundings of this place of environmental significance.

This was followed by a Herbarium workshop conducted by JITM faculty of bio-technology in which the school  children were told about the significance of studying plants and trees and the technique of preserving them. Prof. Prashanta Behera helped explain many concepts behind the practice. Among others Prof. S. N. Torasia  and Prof. S. S. Khora of JITM addressed the gathering. The children and teachers took keen interest in the samples on display and technique of herbarium.

After lunch two plays in the street theatre format  were presented by Chetaboni of Puri an d the students of the local C. T. Training school on environmental issues. Following the plays, students from Science College of Sunabeda demonstrated some simple experiments using inexpensive day-to-day materials to  illustrate many concepts of science such as air pressure, friction, center of gravity etc. Jivan from Srujanika presented a seminar on 'Night Sky Watching' and how to identify different stars, planets, constellations etc.

The most popular activity followed by yet another play by students of M. R. Boys' High School was the watching of Saturn with its two rings clearly visible through the telescope. The craters of the moon were  also enjoyed by the enthusiastic crowd. The five day program is scheduled to conclude tomorrow with a valedictory function in which Dr. Ravi Kuchimanchi will delive  a seminar on the 'Origin of Universe' at 10:30 AM in the seminar hall of JITM.


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Dhanada K. Mishra
Ph. D. (Civil Engineering Materials), Univ. of Michigan
Professor - Civil Engineering and Principal
Jagannath Institute of Technology and Management
www.jitm.org
Paralakhemundi, Gajapati
Orissa 761211
INDIA

Tel: 91 6815 223088 (o), 06802397597(r), 9437513080 (m)
Fax: 91 6815 222150

Liasioning Office - HIG - 5, Pokhariput, Bhubaneswar -751020
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Email - principal@jitm.org; dkmishra@ortel.net; dhanadam@yahoo.com